Enlightenment and the French Revolution: What Went

¶ … Enlightenment and the French Revolution: What Went Wrong

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The "Age of Reason" also known as the "Enlightenment," was the 18th century's attempt to break out of the self imposed restrictions of society and create something better. (Rosner 2000, 251-253) Beginning with the writings of John Locke in the mid-1600's, a new idea had begun to take root: that man could, through his reason, create better social structures. In other words, man had the ability to create a more perfect form of government, one more in line with the rights of the people. From this idea came a torrent of revolution and social unrest which rocked Europe to it's foundation. In France, a revolution which had begun with the ideas of the Enlightenment, spiraled out of control into a period which is still to this day called "The Terror." How did the well intentioned ideals of the Enlightenment lead to a time of violence and death? In light of this, was the French Revolution really inspired by the Enlightenment, or was it just another violent peasant uprising? This essay will attempt to answer these questions by examining the Enlightenment, it's influence, if any, on the French Revolution, and how it turned so bad.

To answer the question of whether the French Revolution was inspired by the ideals of the Enlightenment one needs only look at the writings of the French Philosophes Voltaire, Rouseau, or Montesquieu. In 1762, Rouseau wrote The Social Contract, which laid the philosophical groundwork for the Revolution by attempting to formulate a new social structure which would reconcile the freedom of the people with the government's need for order. (Wilson 2004, 559-560) And these ideas were spread across France, and the rest of Europe, with the publication of The Encyclopedia, beginning in 1751. The seeds of the Enlightenment were brought directly to the people and they sprouted rebellion.

The French Revolution actually began in July of 1788 when the King called for the creation of an "Estates General" in order to deal with a growing fiscal crisis. By calling a meeting of all three estates (the Clergy, Nobles, and People) the King gave a platform for the people to demand social and governmental changes more in line with the ideals of the Enlightenment. When the King refused, the people revolted. At first the revolution was in sync with Enlightenment ideals. The new National Assembly, which had taken control of the government, approved the Declaration of the Rights of Man; a document which embodied many Enlightenment ideals. Then, in Sept of 1791, the National Assembly drafted France's first constitution which made Enlightenment ideals the law in France. By mid-1791 the revolution seemed to be making significant strides toward the implementation of the ideals of the Enlightenment into the fabric of French society. Then something went horribly wrong.

While the new French Assembly was transforming French society, they failed to deal with the fiscal crisis which the old King had originally called them together to deal with. The economy collapsed, lawlessness ruled in the countryside, famine spread, and those in power were too busy transforming society to deal with the problems of everyday life. In response to this seemingly lack of concern, the people revolted again, only this time it was against those who had overthrown the King. By Sept. Of 1792 the radicals, led by Robespierre, Danton, Marat, and the Duke of Orleans, seized control of the government and created the "Committee of Public Safety," an organization which gave themselves dictatorial powers. (Kennedy 1989, 299) These radicals felt that the old revolutionary government had not gone far enough to transform French society; and this was the cause of all the problems. To deal with this perceived problem, the committee embarked on number of tyrannical reforms in order to create a society where every person possessed high moral standards and were dedicated patriots. Any violence, however extreme, was justified in order to create the perfect enlightened society. Anyone who disagreed was considered to be an enemy of the people, an enemy of the Enlightenment, an enemy of the Revolution, and a danger to France. (Viault 1990, 190) The result was the deaths of more than 16,000 French citizens in a wave of senseless violence that still disturbs people.